It's this ship the USS Mount Whitney, a Blue Ridge Class Commande Ship.
Posted on 09/05/2008 11:18:20 PM PDT by Schnucki
A US warship anchored at the disputed Georgian port of Poti as Russia declared it would not challenge Nato vessels bringing relief to the beleaguered democracy through the Black Sea.
The USS Whitney, flagship of America's Mediterranean Sixth Fleet, arrived in the port which was bombed and occupied by Russian forces during the incursion into Georgia last month. A small Russian detachment remains dug in on the outskirts of the town.
America had previously aborted an attempt to dock the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul at the port, fearing an accidental clash with the Russians.
Russia said it would not authorise a military response to the increased presence of US ships in the Black Sea.
Foreign Ministry official Andrei Nesterenko made the comments just before the Mount Whitney arrived in the key Georgian port of Poti.
Earlier, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin openly questioned the presence of NATO and US ships and pledged an unspecified response.
Mr Nesterenko said international treaties regulate the presence of naval ships in the Black Sea. He said: "There is no talk of military action."
The presence of non-littoral navy vessels in the Black Sea is governed by the 1936 Treaty of Lucerne, which limits the number and duration of flag vessel trips. Its stipulations means that the McFaul sailed back through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits into the Aegean Sea on Monday as the Mount Whitney moved east.
Moscow has charged that humanitarian aid shipments could be used to camouflage naval buildup in the Black Sea. America has now sent three vessels to deliver blankets, hygiene kits, baby food and infant care supplies to Georgia.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
GONG! Incorrect. There is no dispute that Poti is a Georgian port. It's recognized by the UN and by international treaties as Georgian.
It's this ship the USS Mount Whitney, a Blue Ridge Class Commande Ship.
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